Ingraham: Clooney's trying to play both sides in the big money debate in politics

This is a rush transcript from "On the Record," April 18, 2016. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

GRETA VAN SUSTEREN, FOX NEWS HOST: A lot of money is being thrown around during the 2016 elections, but Senator Bernie Sanders supporters were literally throwing money in Los Angeles. Supporters tossing 1,000 one dollar bills at Secretary Clinton's motorcade as she arrived at Hollywood actor George Clooney's home for $33,400 per person fundraiser.

And even Clooney is admitting it's the ridiculous to have this kind of money in politics.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE CLOONEY, ACTOR/ACTIVIST: I think we had protesters last night when we pulled up in San Francisco. And they're right to protest. They are absolutely right, it is an obscene amount of money. The Sanders campaign when they talk about it is absolutely right. It's ridiculous that we should have this kind of money in politics. I agree completely.

The overwhelming amount of money that we are raising, and it is a lot, but the overwhelming amount of the money that we are raising is not going to Hillary to run for president. It's going to the down ticket. It's going to the congressman and senators to try to take back Congress.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAN SUSTEREN: Radio talk show host and star and editor-in-chief of LifeZette, Laura Ingraham, is here.

Laura, George Clooney, who hosted this fundraiser said it's an obscene amount of money.

LAURA INGRAHAM, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Oh, brother, where art thou. Common sense.

I was trying to think of some Clooney movie you make a pun with there. He's raised millions and millions and millions of dollars over the years for Democrat causes, including, of course, the Clintons, and $15 million I believe just over the weekend, that fundraiser. I believe there's another. And he goes on television, like, oh, this is terrible, this is awful.

Well, if it's really a distortion of democracy, then don't raise the money.

VAN SUSTEREN: But this is sort of self-defense, is he thinking that the other guy is doing it. I'm not in favor of that. I mean, everybody says the money is terrible but everybody does it.

INGRAHAM: What gets -- I mean, I was thinking about it. The money they spend on, what, putting on these insipid award shows? I mean, how many award shows do we have for Hollywood?

VAN SUSTEREN: Actually, there's something like one every night.

INGRAHAM: I think -- there's like every channel has award show. Think of the money they spend on that. Think on the money they spend just on the swag bags that they give the presenters for the award.

So, I guess he is trying to play to both sides. I think Bernie Sanders is playing this smart though because they're sending out appeals for $2.70.

VAN SUSTEREN: Bernie Sanders says new fundraising letter that went out to everyone says this, "There is something I need to share with you, and it's probably going to anger you. It should probably anger everyone. Here it is, our opponent," meaning Secretary Clinton, "is bending campaign finance through breaking points so Wall Street fat cats so people like Wal-Mart's Alice Walton can get away with giving hundreds of thousands of dollars in a single contribution to benefit the Clinton campaign."

INGRAHAM: Think about Sanders has raised $45 million through very small contributions. That's pretty impressive. And that goes with his whole deal. I mean, power to the people. This is the people's campaign. Hillary's campaign, it's the fat cats in Hollywood like Clooney, despite protestations to the contrary, and Goldman Sachs, Wall Street, all those guys.

This is great meme for Sanders to go to town on. And I think he's doing, he's up for the right things. Same time, I mean, they do have to raise money. And they're going to have to compete against whoever the Republican nominee is, and there's a report, though, that Hillary is not sending as much money down ticket as Mr. Clooney might believe.

VAN SUSTEREN: That means the DNC, they pay for the different senators and --

INGRAHAM: You know, Hillary, all these feminists, Greta were complaining, well, you are throwing dollar bills at Hillary's motorcade, that's like you are treating her like a stripper. Hillary should have said, look, at least throw 20's or like 50's or 100s at me. These guys are so rich they could throw hundreds of dollar bills to people, but they just threw -- they didn't throw those old coins, dollar coins that could have hurt.